


I'd like to believe in all the possibilities

by kiebs



Series: Whale Tales [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Angst and Fluff, M/M, Mention of blood, Miscommunication, Pre-Relationship, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-07-14 03:28:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7151228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiebs/pseuds/kiebs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prequel to Whale Tales</p><p>Makoto feels like he's losing his friends, but an life-threatening accident makes him realize that he cares for Sousuke much more than a friend. </p><p>A.k.a. the story of how Sousuke got his scars and Makoto first realized he loved him</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'd like to believe in all the possibilities

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ
> 
> I would recommend reading my other story, Whale Tales, as this is technically a prequel to that. However, it can be read alone, but it does have occurrences that are plot relevant in Whale Tales. And, if you like this, I hope you'll check out WT!
> 
> Title comes the song C'Mon by Panic! At the Disco (feat. Fun.)

Makoto knew that Sousuke was argumentative at times, but he had never thought that he would fight with _him._ He also never thought that he would fight _back_ , but that's exactly what the young merman had done.

He had been looking for Sousuke because Haru was still avoiding him and still sullen whenever their paths did cross. A reason as to why that was happening all escaped him, depressing him each time Haru swam away from him. Sousuke had been helping him figure out what was going on and Makoto had come to crave the other boy's company. As long as Sousuke was there, it felt like he could do and survive anything.

The orca merboy felt a little guilty about that, if only because he felt like he was simply using Sousuke, but the other boy had said he didn't mind, said that he liked that Makoto would rely on him for something so important. Makoto would shyly admit he liked relying on Sousuke, too. His chest felt fuzzy whenever they were together, like fluffy anemones were tickling his lungs and throat. Sousuke's rare smiles had even shown up a few times, the remembrance of which still made Makoto grin widely in happiness. Sometimes, it felt like he only had those smiles to keep him going.

The sun filtered through the blue water, casting drifting sun patches across the sandy floor. Schools of fish swam to and fro, glittering in the distance as they went about their daily lives. The serenity would have calmed Makoto, but he was still nervous being alone in open water. Usually, Haru was with him, but, well, that seemed to be over. A sharp pang of sadness encouraged him to swim faster so he could get to the warm comfort of Sousuke's presence. Then he could let himself feel sad, not while he was alone where sharks and larger orcas could get him.

They had been using a shipwrecked boat that barely fit them anymore to meet up and discuss everything. Coral and seagrass grew around it and on it, creating the perfect environment for smaller fish to hide. Makoto eagerly swam towards it, glancing around for his friend. Hopefully he hadn't gotten lost…

"Makoto."

He jumped at the voice, but quickly turned with a smile already on his face. His heart gave an excited leap, throbbing happily despite the sadness that had stung him earlier. Lately, it seemed to be leaping whenever Sousuke was close to him.

His smile, however, faltered when he finally laid eyes on his friend.

Sousuke wasn't really looking at him, his eyes turned downwards, as he floated in the sunlight. A shadow fell over his eyes from the inclination of his head, only amplifying the heavy atmosphere his furrowed eyebrows and frown brought. Alarms blared in Makoto's mind at the sight as his heart began thudding too fast. Haru had had a similar expression when he started avoiding him.

Nervously, the orca merboy drifted closer. Tentatively, he reached out a hand, only to drop it a second later and rub his arm. He tried not to gnaw on his lip.

"…Sousuke?" he asked softly. "What…What's wrong?"

Fear bubbled in his veins as the horrible thought that he could lose both Haru and Sousuke wiggled its way into his mind. He didn't want to lose either and he couldn't lose both so close together. There was no way his heart would be able to take it.

A heavy sigh left his friend's lips and Makoto looked fearfully into those painfully blank teal eyes. A ghost of smile lifted the other boy's lips before it was gone.

"Nothing's wrong," Sousuke answered, though his voice was tense. He dropped his gaze again. "You should head home."

"W-What? But…what about…?" Makoto couldn't find the right words. His heart was strangling them. "A-Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"I'm _fine_ ," Sousuke snapped. "There's…look, just go home."

"But what about our plans?" Makoto cried. "I-I mean, you were going to help…"

"Just go _home_ ," the larger merboy insisted. He was beginning to glare. "Things will be fine if you just _go. Home._ "

Something wasn't right.

"But…what about you…?" Makoto asked in a small voice.

Something wavered in Sousuke's expression before it hardened. "I'll be fine."

Makoto's fingers tightened on his arm. "You're scaring me. What's wrong? Why are you telling me to go home without you? Aren't we friends?"

Something broke in his friend's expression. The glare turned pained, then angry, his teal eyes flashing. The water crackled with magic as Sousuke balled his hands into fists.

"Just go home! Go back to Haru! Make up with him already!" he shouted. "You're so annoying! I don't want to be friends anymore!"

Bubbles spilled from the corners of his mouth as he took deep breaths.

Pain rocketed through Makoto's chest. He gasped in surprise at the sting of those words. The whale shark merboy was someone important to Makoto, especially now that Haru was distant, but hearing that dismissal broke his heart. He searched Sousuke's face, looking for a hint of a horrible joke, but he only received an angry glare in return.

Makoto whimpered out, "F-Fine" before he swam away.

His eyes were hot, his cheeks hotter, as he left the other boy bobbing in the open water.

***

Makoto still hurt later, curled under an overhanging rock as he watched fish swim by lazily. Bubbles trailed from his lips, the closest thing to sobbing he allowed himself to do. To lose both of his closest friends in such a short amount of time...

Makoto didn't understand. He had known Haru his whole life, all thirteen years, and Sousuke, he had known for eight, but losing both of them left him raw. His heart tightened and he whimpered, covering his face with his hands. What had he done wrong? He had thought he was fair, equal with his affections between them. Haru was his best friend, his other half. Sousuke was...Sousuke was special. He was so close to his heart and Makoto always felt...good around him.

Except for today.

Today he just felt hollow.

"Makoto."

Makoto jolted up, hitting his head on the rock above him. Crying out, he clutched his head in pain and squeezed his eyes shut in a vain hope to alleviate it. That had hurt, but that voice... He hadn't expected to hear that voice speak his name ever again.

Wincing, he swallowed nervously as he dragged his eyes up, meeting the dark blue gaze of Haru. The whimper escaped his throat against his will. He couldn't tear his eyes away, caught by those paradoxically young and ancient depths. He wondered if the other merboy was dissecting his soul song, finding the notes that annoyed him so.

"H-Haru..." he murmured, slowly lowering his hands.

Haru shifted a little, looking uncomfortable, before saying, "Your mother is looking for you."

"Mom is?" Makoto crawled out from under the rock and cautiously rose next to his...the other merboy. "Ah, t-thank you for telling me, H-Haru..."

Haru nodded, but he still looked uncomfortable.

As much as Makoto wanted to wait to see what he was going to say, he really shouldn't let his mother wait long. He gave the dolphin merboy a wobbly smile and a wave before swimming in the direction of the town.

His heart still hurt and seeing Haru only hurt it worse. He clenched his teeth, willing the burning in his eyes to disappear. His mother didn't need to see him hurt, not when she probably had something important to tell him. Maybe later he would let himself curl up in her embrace. Now, though, he would force a smile on his face. He was good at pretending to be okay.

"Makoto!"

The orca merboy slowed a little, reluctantly looking to the side when Haru caught up to him. His lip wobbled when those blue eyes stared at him pleadingly, the depths reflecting the water around them.

"I'm sorry," the dolphin merboy murmured. "I...I thought..."

He looked away then, but Makoto had already seen what he wanted to say in his eyes.

"Oh...Oh, Haru!" Makoto cried, hugging his friend. "Sousuke can't replace you! And you can't replace Sousuke! You're both important to me!"

"Too...tight..." Haru gasped and the orca merboy released him.

Despite the relief in his chest that Haru didn't actually hate him, Makoto still was upset. He supposed this is what he got for having two best friends who were bad at communicating.

"You should have told me!" he said as he continued towards the town. "Is this why Sousuke told me he didn't want to be friends?"

"He said that?" Haru asked before huffing. "Maybe. He did...ask...me why I was...upset."

Makoto groaned. "Honestly!"

They reached the town in record time, probably the fastest they had in a while. Promising to meet up with Haru later to talk, Makoto headed towards his home, only to stop at a weird feeling in his gut. He frowned and glanced around, realizing the usually bustling town was strangely quiet. His heart thudded painfully as he changed directions, heading to Lady Miho's house. He didn't know why he did, but something told him he needed to be there.

The stone and coral structure sat just within the town's border that faced open ocean. It was fairly large, as Lady Miho needed plenty of space for her spells and magical knickknacks. Usually when Makoto approached it, he felt calm, but today his stomach was in knots and apprehension tugged on his mind. Something was wrong and he didn't know what.

He swam to the entrance and paused, fingers hovering just short of the heavy curtain rippling in front of him. His heart beat rapidly against his ribcage, thudding heavily. His mouth felt gummy, like he gotten a mouthful of mucous instead of a tasty fish. As he reached for the curtain again, his hand shook and that was when Makoto realized he was afraid. But...of what he wasn't sure.

Fingers still trembling, he cautiously pushed open the curtain. He squinted in the dim light, opening his mouth to speak. He only got out an aborted "Mo—" when he realized that there were clouds of blood in the water. He froze, eyes widening as the curtain fell closed behind him.

Lady Miho and his mother were in front of him, frantically doing something, but all Makoto could see was the tail resting on the bed. It was a familiar tail, gray with white spots and stripes, and Makoto felt his breath catch when Lady Miho moved and he saw the face contorted in pain and much too pale.

"S-Sou...suke...?" he breathed, drifting closer as if in a trance.

It...It couldn't be...

"Makoto!" His mother's voice was sharp and worried, but Makoto could only see Sousuke on the table.

He shouldn't be on his back. That was the thought running through his mind as the orca merboy absorbed the situation. Sousuke shouldn't be on his back because he was vulnerable like that. He became dazed and hazy when he was on his back and he couldn't do anything.

Makoto's breath sped up, his heart racing. Sousuke shouldn't _be_ like that.

"Sousuke!" he cried, lunging forward, only to be blocked by his mother. "Sousuke!"

"Makoto!" His mother wrapped her arms around him, petting his hair. "Shh, shh. He'll be okay. Sousuke will be okay."

A sob built in his throat. "I-It's my f-fault. I-If I...if I hadn't left him... S-Sousuke..."

"No, no. It's not your fault," his mother soothed, stroking his hair. "Lady Miho can save him."

There was a hum from the sea witch, but no other acknowledgment. She was a powerful sorceress. Everyone in town knew that. Makoto had seen her control whole schools of sharks, but there was just so much blood.

His chest felt so tight.

"Mm...M-Mako...to...?"

The voice was hazy as it called Makoto's name. It almost sounded like it was thick with sleep and he almost could pretend that was it, if not for the blood clouding the water.

Makoto peeked over his mother's shoulder at the sea witch. Sousuke had turned his head in his direction, but his face was still too pale and his eyes were unfocused.

Another sob built in his throat.

"Hush," Lady Miho murmured, her pink fins fluttering through the bloody water. "You're still too weak, Sousuke. I'm almost done, but there will be scars."

Makoto watched as his friend frowned. It looked more like a pout though. "N-No..."

"No?" Lady Miho echoed, though she sounded more like she wasn't really paying attention and less confused.

"No...scaaarsss..." Sousuke slurred, shaking his head.

"Then you'll have to help me," Lady Miho responded curtly. The merboy bobbed his head drunkenly. "Kumiko, please take your son outside."

"Of course."

Makoto's mother gently nudged the preteen backwards. Reluctantly, he let her move him, but his eyes stayed focused on Lady Miho and Sousuke. His heart hurt when, just before the curtain closed, Sousuke gave him a sleepy smile.

***

It was a long time later that Lady Miho finally let Makoto in to see Sousuke. He rushed over to the bed, his heart easing when he saw that his friend was sleeping on his stomach. A wobbly breath left him as he sunk down next to the bed, resting his arms on the edge and staring tiredly at the peaceful face of Sousuke.

"Stupid," he breathed, eyes feeling hot again. He hiccoughed.

"Mmm...since when did you call people stupid?"

Sousuke's voice was slurred and Makoto lifted his head when teal eyes blinked open. He looked exhausted, face still ashen, and the orca merboy gently ran his fingers through his hair. Sousuke purred.

"Since my stupid friend told me he didn't want to be friends anymore and then almost died," Makoto retorted, surprised at the steadiness of his voice. Still, his breaths shuddered when he asked, "Do you...still not want to be friends?"

Eyelids fluttering, Sousuke frowned. "...only said...that 'cause Haru was...avoiding you... Don't...wanna not be friends...with you..."

The weight crushing his chest lifted and Makoto stared at Sousuke with wide, shimmering eyes. His lips wobbled and he moved without thinking, pressing his lips against Sousuke's in a chaste kiss. It felt nice and it made his blood buzz. So this was the feeling that had been brewing in his chest since Sousuke said he didn't want to be friends.

The tired teal eyes were wide when Makoto pulled back and the orca merboy worried his lip nervously. Maybe he had ruined everything with that kiss, but he just realized why not being able to spend time with Sousuke bothered him. Haru was...like his brother, someone that Makoto knew would return to him no matter what. And he had, he had despite fearing being a nuisance. Sousuke, though...Sousuke was more, so much more. Not a brother, not his other half, but a missing part of his heart, his soul.

Makoto swallowed nervously before breathing, "I love you."

"...oh..." Sousuke's voice was very small and his cheeks were reddening. "Oh. I...um, I..."

"Ah, I-I'm sorry! I said that when you're still...still recovering! Um, f-forget about it for now," Makoto babbled, waving his hands. "A-At least until...until you're more coherent."

Sousuke nodded dumbly, burying his face in the crook of his left elbow. "Just...Just make sure...to tell me when I wake up again...o-okay?"

"Y-Yeah."

Those teal eyes peeked up at him, their depths wavering, before they crinkled tenderly. Warmth bloomed in Makoto's stomach and he smiled down at his friend, stroking his hair. Something told him that maybe...maybe his feelings weren't one sided.

As Sousuke's eyes drifted closed, Makoto let his gaze run over the whale shark merboy's right shoulder. It looked surprisingly unblemished, but when he moved his head just a little, pale lines glittered in the dim light. His heart clenched, but Makoto wouldn't let them bother him. It was a guess, but he was sure that Sousuke had asked Lady Miho for no scars because of him.

The orca merboy let his fingers gently trail over one pale scar. This too he would love. He wouldn't let guilt stab his heart when he saw them. He would do that for Sousuke.

Makoto nuzzled Sousuke's hair, pressing a kiss to his scalp. He would do that for the person he loved.


End file.
